Instant messaging offers people an opportunity to communicate in real time with others over the internet. Instant messaging can be one-to-one using point to point communication. Alternatively, communications can be multicast providing instantaneous on-line chatting among a group of people. Typically, instant messages are text-based messages pushed instantaneously from a sender to a receiver. More advanced messaging allows for voice, video and hyperlinks. Users of an instant messaging service typically have a contact roster and are apprised of who among their contacts are on-line. A user can select one or more of the contacts for conducting an instant messaging session.
Given that the internet allows access internationally, contacts involved in a chat might not share the same native language. Systems have been contemplated for providing translation of messages between instant messaging users. In accordance with US 2003/0125927 (Seme), a content translation module is provided along an instant messaging network so that messages sent through the network are translated and forwarded to the destination device. Alternatively, Seme suggests locating a content translation module on a source device and/or a destination device.